Ban Mido
Ban Midou (美堂蛮, Midō Ban) is one of the main protagonists in Getbackers. Known variously as "The Man with the Evil Eye" (邪眼の男) and "The Genius of Battles", he is the "B" in the Get Backers. He is one quarter German and the grandchild of the "Last Witch of the 20th Century" which might refer to his name Ban translated means final. Appearance The first thing people notice about Ban though is his unruly haircut. Some people believe he has it styled like that to make it look close to Himiko's older brother, Yamato. His brown hair goes in every direction, which has landed him with nicknames like, "Urchin Head". After his hair gets wet though, Ban usually does nothing to try and spike it back up, so it goes down into his face and stays like that. He wears a short sleeved, long, collared, white button down shirt that becomes triangular shape at the tips in the front and back. Underneath, Ban wears a loose black tank top that he sometimes rips to use as temporary gauze when he gets seriously injured in battles. He wears a pair of black skinny jeans with a white belt and a brown pair of shoes. In the manga, on his left ear he has a singular stud earring. On his right ear in the anime, we see an ear cuff that is about in the middle of his ear. As his disguises change, sometimes he changes his left earring as well. In some "transition" pages, we sometimes see Ban with more earrings then just the stud in his left ear. and we also sometimes see Ban wearing other accessories, like dog tags and necklaces. His two signature accessories though, are the small purple sunglasses that Ban has had since he was a young boy, which also hide his icy blue eyes. His other is the lit cigarette in his mouth almost 24/7. Ban usually keeps a very stern face when battling enemies or in serious situations. When he is with his friends though, that is exactly opposite. He can go from smiling, to angry with Ginji, to competitive with Shido and back to smiling very quickly. When he does smile, it is usually a mocking kind of smirk, and it is usually towards the enemy. Every once in a while though, Ban is able to give sincere smiles to those around him. Personality The first impression one usually gets of Ban would be that he is a rude person with a great sense of pride. With his unruly hair (he's often called "Urchin Head or Snake Bastard") and sunglasses, people immediately judge him poorly (it doesn't help that he gives unflattering nicknames to almost anyone he meets, e.g. "monkey trainer" Shido Fuyuki and "thread spool" Kazuki Fuuchouin). Despite this, he is actually a kind person with a strong sense of leadership and a very talented person. He is one quarter German and the grandchild of the "Last Witch of the 20th Century" which might refer to his name Ban translated means final. He's also a brother-like figure to Himiko Kudo after she has gotten over her brother's death. Later, it is found that Ban is Himiko's real brother. Himiko's average fighting skills meant that she often bites off more than what she can chew. In such situations, Ban can be counted on to come to her aid (though it must be noted that she does return the favor at times). On another note, he picked up smoking from Yamato (Himiko's brother), and his favorite brand is Marlboro. In the GB duo, he's often the one who thinks of plans for their moves. Initially, Ginji Amano was seen to be a sidekick to him (in fact, when they first formed their partnership, Ban insisted that Ginji was only his sidekick). As the story progresses, Ginji gradually held his own in their missions, and Ban acknowledged him as an equal. Although seemingly rude, impatient, and cocky, Ban is decidedly a mysterious person behind his less eloquent personality. As a "combat genius", Ban is very intelligent, having studied fighting techniques, science, history, and magic from a very young age as a result of being hunted in Europe by shamans during childhood, and surprises everyone with his knowledge more often than not. Meanwhile, Ban is often quite sentimental to even the people he's rude with. He decided to help out Shido Fuyuki, who hardly gets along with Ban, after Madoka Otowa was kidnapped by the Kiryuudo 7; when Shido sacrificed his life for Madoka, Ban screamed at Shido's corpse, questioning him as to how Madoka will be able to live without him (thankfully, Shido was later resurrected by Amon Natsuki, who died in turn). He has also helped the "resurrection" of Natsuki in the Infinity Fortress as a favor for MakubeX to cheer up Haruki Emishi, who had grieved the most for Amon's death. Also, he bears a striking resemblance to his father. In fact, in the arcs where his hair is "down" (Venus de Milo and Kiryuudo arcs), he looks like Der Kaiser during his GB days with Paul. Another trait which both father and son share is that while they may appear cold and ruthless on the surface, they were actually very warm and caring to their friends. Fittingly, before his father disappeared (for the second time), his last wish was for Ban to help light his cigarette. Ban is shown to be an excellent violin player as well. History Though he was born in Japan, Ban's mother rejected him when his powers manifested itself and she had a breakdown. Ban's father left, and sent Ban to live with his Grandmother in Germany. Ban lived for several years in and across Europe. As the heir, Ban was constantly hunted by shamans, the arch enemies of the witch-clan. In Germany he made friends with Natsuhiko Miroku and his family. Some time after Aris Miroku's death, to hide Ban from the Shamans, he was declared dead, and was sent back to Japan with Maria. Ban was 8 years old at the time, and after a while he ran away from Maria and lived on the streets. The young Ban did "ANYTHING" in order to survive. He was alone until in his teenage years when he ran into Yamato and Himiko Kudo. He became part of their plunders team for just over 6 months, when the Voodoo curse struck Yamato. In trying to save Yamato, Ban ended up killing the man he looked up to as an older brother, and Himiko who entered after Yamato was dead, blamed Ban. Ban accepted the blame, because he had promised Yamato he would protect Himiko from a similar fate. Ban is a brother-like figure to Himiko Kudo after she came to terms with her brother's death, and later it is revealed Ban is actually related to her by consanguinity through the Witch Queen. Ban learned how to fight as a child, and he is a genius. Before he was eight he was learning about magic, chemistry, history, and physics; he was self-taught and learnt most of it from books. The Witch Queen told him that, in order to escape his sad destiny, he would have to be smarter and stronger than anyone else. The Witch Queen has also helped Ban realize the truth about the world he lives in, his enemies, and his destiny. Because of this, Ban Mido is very knowledgeable in basically all forms of knowledge as it is hinted within the manga. Ban's instincts as well as his reasoning ability are that of a Detective & a Battle Strategist. Ban always watches the people around him and can accurately deduce what they are thinking most of the time. As a result he knows what is about to happen and plans accordingly. Ban is a loner again until he runs into a certain blonde in Infinity Fortress. In the Getbackers duo, he's often the one who thinks of plans for their moves. Initially, Amano Ginji was seen to be a sidekick to him (in fact, when they first formed their partnership, Ban insisted that Ginji was only his sidekick); but as the story progresses, Ginji gradually held his own in their missions, and Ban acknowledged him as an equal. Ban bears a striking resemblance to his father. In fact, in the arcs where his hair is "down" (Venus de Milo and Kiryuudo arcs), he looks like Der Kaiser during his Getbacker days with Paul. Another trait which both father and son share is that while they may appear cold and ruthless on the surface, they were actually very warm and caring to their friends. Ban is shown to be an excellent violin player as well. Plot During the 'Voodoo Child' arc and 'Get Back the Lost Time'arc, it was revealed that Ban would train with his magic powers from when he was a kid any chance that he had. After a while he stopped training with witch powers he wanted nothing to do with the witches. His magic is pure potential and inhuman will. To illustrate his magical ability; Der Kaiser used actual spells, and planned magic; with his experience, it looked as if he was more powerful. However, Ban with no training and just by instinct was able to deconstruct Der Kaiser's Beltline Monster in the Underground Queen's Cup while Maria who is a really powerful witch could not. Thus the reason Der Kaiser had Ban locked up because he knew that Ban would see though Der Kaiser manipulating Ginji in the battle real fast, and counter it. It is revealed later on that Ban Mido was destined to fight against Raitei. It was a destiny that he was told he could not escape - but then Ban is contrary. He went to Infinity Fortress when he was younger to fight Raitei, and possibly die. However he defeated Raitei and he was able to bring Ginji out of him. During Ban and Raitei's second encounter, it was revealed that many of the events were manipulated by the Brain Trust in order to force the Get Backers to fight. Himiko's kidnapping, controlling members of Fugu and the cursed knights were all a trap to bring out 100% of Ginji's (Raitei) power, and therefore force Ban to use 100% of his power. This together would be one of the keys to opening Heaven's Doors. Ginji was forced to lose control when losses and pain overcame him and the Raitei emerged at 100%. However, Ban turned destiny around and was able to get back the time he and Ginji had, thus turning him back into Ginji Amano. Later on, when Ban stopped his father's killing blow on Paul with one hand - and without using Ascelpius - he changed destiny itself recorded in the archives at that instant. It was then revealed that With Ban's inner belief, he can overcome any destiny written in the archive; this is the reason he is feared by the brain trust and is maybe the most powerful character in the GB universe. While Ginji does this unconsciously, only Ban does it consciously and saves people through it. His father and Paul did not have the will nor the strength of their Bond to overcome the Voodoo King; that is why Der Kaiser and his Drei Ritter lost. In the fight with Der Kaiser, Ban did not want to hurt his father, so he held back during the entire fight. In fact, it was revealed that a lot of what happened during and after the Queens Cup was to try to force Ban to use his full power; especially against Ginji. The curse that Ban bears is that he restrains himself a great deal. When Ban finally let go of the Ascelpius curse, he took Der Kaiser out. During the end of the 'Get Back the Lost Time' arc, as time was collapsing all around, it was then revealed that Ban Mido has a destiny. He was born to complete the destiny that his grandmother, the Witch Queen had set out for him. His grandmother believed that the world Professor Amano was trying to create is a hollow world, devoid of soul, of choice. It is a world not suitable for human habitation. That is why she sealed the door to Babylon City, to protect the people in the world of Get Backers. Protect the world from the whims of those that live in Babylon...She wanted to create a vacuum between the two worlds, so that no one from that world could lay their dirty hands on this one. However, Ginji Amano was sent to the world, to reset the world according to the original design. Thus Ban Mido was destined to fight and kill or be killed by Ginji Amano in the Ogre Battle. Ginji was sent to the world as God of the world. Ban Mido was sent to this world as the Devil. They both had the willpower to alter the rules of reality and change all of existence. However Ban rejected his destiny and choose a third unexpected path. He used the Jagan a 4th time and tricked Ginji into 'winning' the 'battle' and thus enter Babylon City as the winner of the Ogre Battle. Ban never told Ginji that it was the 4th Jagan, and he was willing to pay the ultimate price for defying destiny. The price for using the Jagan a 4th time is that Ban would disappear not just from the physical world, but from the hearts and minds of everyone. Neither he nor any of his deeds would be remembered. And Ban was happy that Himiko's and everyone else's sadness would not last long because they would not remember that he even existed. If Ban had disappeared before Ginji made his choice, he would be lost to even the GB world because Ginji would not remember him. However a certain Jackal played a trick and delayed Ban's disappearance. Abilities The Evil Eye: Firstly, he can utilize the Evil Eye (邪眼, Jagan), a power which allows him to make anyone he makes eye contact with to watch a one minute long illusion, however, it should only be used three times per day. The Evil Eye cannot be used on the same person again for the next 24 hours. Furthermore, while the illusion only lasts for one minute, should Ban will it, the one affected by the Jagan can be placed inside a time-warp zone via the illusion created by the technique, meaning that to them, one minute in real life could last up to several hours in the Jagan's influence. It is rare for Ban to use the Evil Eye to defeat his opponents, preferring to use it to aid in the retrieval process or to give clients happy/nightmarish dreams, however he has been shown to use it in defeating Takuma Fudou's insight during the blank second[1][2]. Also, the Evil Eye has been shown to be able to enter into the mind of his opponent, and see their entire past[3][4][5]. He has made someone believed that they were dead, up until the point where the belief became reality[6][7][8]. (However, he disconnected the Jagan before the physical effects could manifest. He only kept them active so that the curse would disappear. Ban explained that if a person believes so much that they are burning, that burn marks will appear on their body[9]. He utilized this method with his opponent.) He has used the Jagan to place a crime mob boss in a vegetative state[10]. He has also used his eyes to see through or enter virtual space and dimensional space[11][12]. Ban has expressed that his Evil Eye can make the immaterial materialize[13]. In the final volume, it was stated from the words of the Witch Queen that the Jagan manipulates the fate of the target that is placed within it, making this a pretty powerful set of eyes[14]. In another another instance, during the Divine Design, Ban Mido was able to utilize his Evil Eye in order to turn a man into stone through materialization. However, it was revealed that it was Ban Mido's "will" being drawn out by the Divine Design card. [15][16][17] Additionally, there is a penalty for using the Jagan a fourth time within the 24 hour limit. After the fourth use the user disappears both from the physical world and from the memories of all who know him. With that in mind, Ban requested one final duel with Akabane Kurodou. After an intense struggle, the two manage to strike each other, causing Ban to collapse and Akabane to disappear. However, Akabane had not died, as assumed, but, instead, implanted a surgery scalpel into Ban's chest as a "final favor", given to Ban for allowing Akabane to see his own limits. Akabane later explained that because having Ban disappear would be a pity, he attempted to fool the Archive by faking Ban's death and delaying Ban's disappearance from using his fourth Jagan just long enough for Ginji to reach Babylon City and resolve everything, thus saving Ban from disappearing. Asclepius: Because he is a direct descendant of the Witch clan, and being born under the star of Asclepius, he possesses incredible superhuman strength, which gives him a gripping force of 200 kgf (2 kN) in each hand. It is also shown that he is strong enough break open the doors of an armored steel truck and punch hard enough to create large craters in the ground or break walls; occasionally even collapsing multi-storied buildings. At full power, his right hand becomes a snake's claw that can crush anything. Also, while powering up, the astral outline of a giant snake can be seen surrounding him. The general impression of people when taking their first look at him is of a skinny or ordinary person; however, a close look will reveal that he is of a fair height and has solid shoulders and large, muscular and solid arms. His unruly ordinary appearance often deceive enemies and they don't expect his level of superhuman super strength. He can use the snake to attack his opponents as well and seeing as his snake go to the length of the size of a massive skyscraper and into the sky, it's safe to assume that he can casually destroy skyscrapers with his attack. Ban Mido gains power from the cosmos. The God Asclepius grants him power and Ban concentrates it mainly into his arm. Because of he relies on his constellation and the power of the cosmos he doesn't have to rely on his natural senses, strength, agility, stamina, endurance, or speed but his connection with the cosmos in order to fight. In the 'Get Back the Lost Time' arc, he also learned how to combine his intuition with his link with the cosmos. When summoning this power, his speed and power becomes irrelevant. He is able to attack his opponent no matter what. In order to summon Asclepius, Ban must say a chant, of which there are three versions: *'Anime Version 1:' "(Now, by your right hand)...Before the end of this cursed fate, I shall be the one to embody Asclepius as he descends from the high heavens. Now, I shall state my request: Attack with your fangs of venom!" *'Anime Version 2:' "Now, in thy right hand... Thou wilt host Ophiuchus, who comes from the cosmos... until thy cursed fate ends. Now be devoured... by the poisoned fangs of the serpent!" *'Anime Version 3:' "Even now, at thy right hand, until this cursed fate is spent. Is the one who houses, Asclepius, who descends from the milky way on high, Therefore I invoke thy. Feed with your fangs of poison!" *'Normal Manga Version:' "Now in thy right hand... until thy cursed fates end... thou wilt host Asclepius, who comes from the cosmos. I shall give thee strength... now be devoured by the poisoned fangs of the snake" *'Final Manga Version:' "I shall be the herald of Asclepius. Only he who accepts that accursed fate shall receive the power of the highest heaven and the deepest hell that lay hidden within thy venomous fangs. Thus, let thy hammer fall upon the heads of the foolish. With all the wrath of a Demon God." While he's saying the incantation, the outline of a snake's scaly body can sometimes be seen around him. Ban has never lost a fight after invoking the incantation even without using the Evil Eye (as was the case in his IL battle with Fudou). Often, his opponent will get the VERY short end of the stick. Due to its overwhelming results, some fans have jokingly called this move "Ban's winning speech". Deconstruction Spell: It is the ability to deconstruct an entity and annihilate it from existence, or choose to send it back to its point of origin. The Art of Imagination: "If you imagine too much, then it will become reality." Ban Mido, Der Kaiser, Maria Noches, Lucifer, and the Witch Queen have the power to apparently turn imagination into reality or better yet, turn illusions into reality. Der Kaiser showed us this when he imagined a snake and it came and bit Kagame's arm, but it turned out to be an illusion. Ban Mido later did the exact same thing to a Beltline Monster named Help, but the illusionary snake actually bit off Help's arm! Turning Circle: The turning circle is a spell which allows the user's speed, and power to match his/her opponents. However, any attacks used upon the user will only affect the person using the attack. Maria Noches used this against Help, so it can be assumed that Ban Mido knows this technique as well, seeing that he is the heir to the Witch Queen. Devil Arm: When Ban Mido achieves this form, he is pretty much a berserker like Raitei. His goal is to make any enemy before him disappear. He gains high speed regeneration in this form; but only damage he has previously taken will not heal (like if he was cut with a sword before he activates his form, he'll still have the damage). His speed and physical strength is multiplied by a great fold and it will only continue to rise. In this form, he is purely relying on the cosmos and Asceplius. This arm will literally cut through just about everything. (Time, space, dimensions, non-corporeal beings, empty space, and elements) Also, being in the sky doesn't help, because Ban will hit his opponent no matter what due to the effects of his arm, being that time and space are irrelevant to his arm. Angel Arm: Without relying on the use of his Asclepius curse, Ban Mido is able to use his own true power to help him battle. With this, he gains an Angel wing on his Snake Bite arm. The abilities he gains with this arm are similar to his cosmos. His powers will be greatly multiplied, but the one thing that will surpass everything else is his speed. His speed will rise, rise, and rise until his opponent can no longer keep up with him. In this form, it is is implied that he can't imagine his opponent being faster than him, which will allow him to jump great levels in speed. He can still cut through elements as well as non-corporeal beings. It is unknown if his actual physical strength gets a boost though. However, he was masterfully outclassing an opponent who existed outside of the timeline (all timelines). Clearly, time and space aren't an issue in this form either. Reception Anime News Network praised the style of the Jagan in the manga to be a "horrifying nightmare". The Tokyo Pop translation of the Ban Mido dialogues has been criticized for making him sound like gangsters. Ban has also ranked highly in the popularity polls of the series, continuously placing in the top ten and ranking third once. Trivia *He has a theme song called "Evil Eyes" and also sang by the Japanese voice of Ban, Nobutoshi Canna. Category:Characters Category:Main Characters Category:Male Characters Category:GetBackers